Posted by Steinbeck on October 12, 2008, at 13:42:36
For the past six months Ive thought Ive been going crazy. Ive been having a continuous problem that has and is effected my school, my internship, my social life, and my life in general. Ive decided to share it since it is intensely linked to mental health and may prevent others from having the same experience.
It started when I decided to go off of Effexor. It is well-known that Effexor or any SSRI or SNRI can precipitate rapid-cycling in individuals who have bipolar disorder (my diagnosis), and, my psychiatrist and I decided that Effexor was probably doing me more harm then good.
Ive only been on Effexor since August of 2007. My psychiatrist and I decided that I should go off it in March of 2008. We decided to taper off the dosage over a week or two, the same way I went up on it to get to the full dose (75 mgs). That meant two weeks of 37.5 mg and then off it altogether. Sounds easy, right?
Wrong. I was and still am - in for a ride. The first effect was the electric currents. I would come to learn that these are fairly common with Effexor withdrawal (and while being on Effexor). They were unlike the pleasurable electric currents that come in hypomania or mania. If youve ever been shocked electrically, you have an idea of what its like. The electric currents shot throughout my brain, and, honestly, put the fear of God into me. I thought I was going to have a seizure seizures are electric storms in the brain, and I once had one after suffering a brain injury. I had to leave classes, skip get-togethers, and hide because the electric currents were too strong. Once I got used to it to some extent, there were points at which I felt like I could shoot electricity out of my hands. It was, obviously, very odd. Then came the tardive dyskenisia (involuntary muscle spasms) and the paranoia. Both were extremely mild but ever-present. They passed and were replaced by a feeling as if Im going to gag or vomit constantly, and, a difficulty swallowing for months now. Its caused me to lose 15 pounds. I thought I was losing it.
I began charting the symptoms. I have been charting moods and symptoms most of my life, and, focused on these symptoms to see if I could find a pattern, rhyme, or reason for them. I noticed they came on primarily when in social situations... or any situation during which I got a little anxious. Anxiety is linked to adrenaline. Our adrenal system is composed of epinephrine and norepinephrine neurotransmitter systems. Effexor is an SNRI and the N in SNRI stands for norpehinephrine. It finally hit me that it could be Effexor withdrawal. I went back on 37.5 and noticed a reduction in the latest withdrawal symptoms but they are still ever-present.
I started researching it on the internet. I found thousands of individuals have suffered the same symptoms when they are coming off Effexor. Validation at last! I wasnt going crazy. Even the explanations for what they were experiencing were almost a spot on match to my experience. I found discussion boards, message boards, warning sites, chat rooms, and doctor warnings discussing the horrors of withdrawing from this medication. I read testimonials stating these adverse side effects from Effexor have lasted four, five, six months and longer! Its been three for me. They have me repeating Al Pacinos words in the Godfather Part III: just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in.
Anyone taking this medication must be aware of the withdrawal symptoms.An aside...
In April of 1998, the New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry published a study on the withdrawal reactions associated with venlafaxine. There is a discontuiation syndrome (withdrawal) from all SSRIs and SNRIs, but, it seems that with Effexor, this discontinuation can be exceptionally bad. The authors of the study reported severe withdrawal syndrome can include hallucinations, even during a slow tapering regime. The mostly marked side effects of withdrawal from this drug include headache, nausea, fatigue, dizziness, and dysphoria (abnormal depression). They state that the cessation of the drug may be exceptionally difficult. I can testify firsthand to this assertion found in this study authored by Gordon Parker and Jenny Blennerhasset.
Source: Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, Volume 32, Issue 2 April 1998 , pages 291 294
poster:Steinbeck
thread:857069
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20081006/msgs/857069.html